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Fellows Directory

Jim Smith

Jim Smith

Sir Jim Smith FMedSci FRS

Fellow


Elected: 1993

Contact:

Twitter@profjimsmith

wwwhttps://wellcome.ac.uk/news/new-director-science

ORCID0000-0003-2413-9392

Biography

Jim Smith is renowned for his work on cell-to-cell signalling in the early development of the amphibian embryo. His discovery of a mesoderm-inducing factor secreted by a cell line and establishing its identity as activin transformed the study of induction in the early embryo. He also showed that activin specifies different cell types at different thresholds and that characteristic genes like Brachyury are turned on at specific concentrations. His earlier work demonstrated threshold responses in chick limb development and also showed that the mitogenic response to growth factors can be active when attached to the extracellular matrix.

Professional positions

Director of Science, Wellcome Trust
Visiting Group Leader, The Francis Crick Institute

Interest and expertise

Subject groups

  • Microbiology, immunology and developmental biology
    • Developmental biology

Keywords

Developmental biology, Growth factors, Transcription factors, Morphogenesis, Gastrulation, Genetic regulatory networks, Xenopus, Zebrafish

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